Calendar for December 21st, 2012

Winter Solstice

The winter solstice is one of the two times each year that the Sun is at its farthest point from the equator and appears to stand still. It occurs today at 6:03 P.M. EST. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol, or "Sun," and stitium, or "stoppage."

The Halcyon Days also occur around this time. According to ancient legend, a grieving wife named Halcyon threw herself into the sea upon discovering the drowned body of her beloved husband, Ceyx. The gods took pity on the pair, transforming them into kingfishers, or halcyons, with the power to still the stormy seas for 14 days near the time of the winter solstice while they hatched their young.

1370s

Died 1375: Giovanni Boccaccio (poet)

1890s

1894: Mackenzie Bowell became Canada's 5th Prime Minister

1910s

1913: The first crossword puzzle was printed in a NY newspaper

1930s

Born 1937: Jane Fonda (actress)

1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered at the Carthay Circle Theater in Hollywood, California. It was the first animated feature-length film with sound and color